Morrisons is phasing out the Safeway own label from a number of stores amid widespread range reviews, senior sources have confirmed to Better Retailing.
The firm used the historic own label as a selling point when it made its first major step into wholesale in 2020. At the time, more than 9,000 products were available, which included fresh, meat, soups, ready meals, produce and dairy.
Several senior industry sources confirmed that the multiple was phasing out the range in some areas. One told Better Retailing: “They’re replacing Safeway with Morrisons own label. It makes sense as Morrisons is the more well-known brand and I think it communicates better quality. Most customers would choose Morrisons over Safeway given the choice.”
Another of the sources criticised the range, and said: “We never saw a real appetite or true understanding of independent retailers’s needs such as price-marked packaging or margins.”
Asked by Better Retailing to comment on the changes, a Morrisons spokesperson said: “As we review and improve our convenience stores, we’re assessing all products to ensure we have the right ranges for customers. In some cases, this may mean Safeway lines are replaced by Morrisons products.”
The changes come as the supermarket is to launch a retailer panel, giving selected franchisees an opportunity to provide feedback on Morrisons.
Read more Morrisons news
Comments
This article doesn't have any comments yet, be the first!